COUNTY NEWS: ‘Stop football kick-offs clashing with Remembrance Sunday silence’

A Sussex football manager is calling for kick-offs to be moved on Remembrance Sunday to avoid clashing with the two minutes’ silence.

Billy Greening, who is in charge of AFC Southwater, was due to see the club’s game at Rudgwick kick off at 10.30am.

However when he realised this would have meant playing through the two minutes’ silence starting at 11am he contacted the chairman of the Worthing & Horsham District Sunday League to ask for the time to be moved.

His original request was refused but after the County Times contacted the league for a comment AFC Southwater’s kick off time was changed to 11.05am.

However Billy is unhappy as although his game has been moved, other matches across the league are still due to start at 10.30am.

He said: “It’s good they have moved ours, but they seem to have admitted they have made a mistake.

“They are happy to move our game but they have not moved anybody else’s.

“I still feel exactly the same. I’m pleased they have moved our game but it’s just a gesture.”

Billy added: “I think they are still not grasping the fact that they could be perceived as being disrespectful and sending out the wrong message.”

He has been told he can submit a proposal for next season so that no games clash with the Remembrance Sunday silence, which is held annually on the nearest Sunday to Armistice Day, which is on November 11.

He said: “I do not understand why they can’t use common sense and move all the kick-offs to 11.05am.”

He originally told the league AFC Southwater would not play its game if the start time was not changed, meaning the club could have been fined.

The team has several players who represent the Armed Forces, and Billy felt it would be wrong to play football through the two minutes’ silence and not be able to join the rest of the country in paying their respects, especially as Rudgwick’s ground is next to a cenotaph.

He described how his ultimate aim was for the league to have a last-minute change of heart.

The Worthing & Horsham District Sunday League was approached for a comment but by the time of publication had not responded.